Rinde Eckert (Santa Monica, CA) Rinde Eckert is a singer, writer, composer, actor, and director known internationally for the remarkable flexibility and inventiveness of his singing voice. His solo pieces and collaborations with other composers, dancers, and musicians have been performed throughout North America and abroad. Long celebrated for his performances in multimedia with the Paul Dresher Ensemble and the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, his more recent work as a solo artist has won him wide acclaim. Described as "the most exciting performance artist this writer has encountered since the early days of Laurie Anderson" by John Rockwell, critic for the New York Times, Eckert's musical approach transcends stylistic pigeonholes. He is a classically trained singer who has expanded his vocabulary to reflect a wide range of contemporary musical styles. This modern treatment of a variety of vernacular and classical music straddles the boundary between the time-honored and the new, the mysterious and the familiar, taking the listener on an uncommonly fascinating journey